Easiest way to allow for overflow issues

[Kristi Kelty]

Hi again Ponders!
We are having our first rainy season already here, and my pond has had to be bailed for the last few days, as I have no overflow or drain..... What do you recommend that will be the easiest and cheapest way to go? (Besides a gallon bucket?!!)
Anyone have a good resource for doing an overflow area? My pond is 16'x8'x 19" in the two deep areas. The garden is within the city so it is about 40'x 40' I guess.
Thanks for your great input to my questions!
K.

 

[addy1]

I have one edge that is lower than the rest of the pond, that edge is on the down slope side of the pond, (my pond is built on a slope) That low edge has some rocks piled up to keep the fish from flowing out with the excess water. That edge is around a foot wide, the rocks are staggered so the water will go out, but the fish won't. Any overflow goes out and down the slope. Without a slope you would need to have a gravel pit, dry stream bed, something to direct the water away from your pond.

 

[DrCase]

A pic would help me for sure
if you are above grade, where ever the water wants to spill out first a few well placed rocks could carry the over flow water away

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Thanks Addy and Dr. Case~ my pond is 5-6 " below ground level....BUT when it rains and overflows there is one corner that is already a little lower, so water will drain out there. Problem is that one end of the pond is about 10 feet from the property lines where my neighbors are and I don't want to flood them with my pond water....HaHa! The other end is where it is closer to my basement where I do have a sump pump....but that is say 30 feet from the pond.

 

[sissy]

you could just put a pipe in the low spot and direct the over flow where you want it to go .You will have to put a cover on it so no fish get washed out .Shower drain may work

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Sissy great idea also!!! Thanks....
K

 

[Mmathis]

you could just put a pipe in the low spot and direct the over flow where you want it to go .You will have to put a cover on it so no fish get washed out .Shower drain may work

Sort of a version of what I did.

 

[DoDad]

Hi Kristy, I also live in Oregon and in the last 4 days we've had over 3" of rain. I have two ponds both with overflow pipes in the skimmers.
These work very well with all the rain we get and also when I forget to turn off the water when doing a water change.
If your pond is elevated so that you could drain water to a lower location a overflow pipe can be installed through the liner by putting a bulkhead fitting

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Problem is that one end of the pond is about 10 feet from the property lines where my neighbors are and I don't want to flood them with my pond water....

Wouldn't you actually be 'flooding' them with the same amount of rainwater that would normally drain out from your yard? Seems like they would have gotten that amount of runoff regardless of you having a pond.

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Thanks all! One of the things I love best about this group is the ingenuity that everyone uses to improvise! So many great ideas!

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Thanks also DoDad for the beautiful diagram~

 

[koiguy1969]

hey Dodad...where ya been?

 

[DoDad]

hey Dodad...where ya been?

Back surgery, neck surgery and very busy.
Thanks for asking.